Bolzano Tram

Infobox rail line
name = Bolzano Tram

---

image_width = 270px
caption =
type = passenger
system =
status = abandoned
start = Guncina funicular
end = Laives/Brennero Street
stations = 8
open = July 1, 1909
close = 1948
owner =
operator =
character =
stock =
linelength = 5,00 km
tracklength =
notrack =
gauge = 1000 mm
el = yes
speed =
elevation = |

The Bolzano Tram had been build to connect the various villages near Bolzano. At the time Zwölfmalgreien, Bolzano and Gries where tree independent municipalities.

Track

The first build line started at the today called Guntschna street, near the Guncina funicular. From there it got to the Piazza Gries and to Talvera Bridge, to enter the Bolzano city. Today Piazza Gries and the Talvera Bridge are connected by a broad street, but this street was build later during Fascism in Italy, and so the tram crosses the field near small streets. In the center of Bolzano the track had some really small curve radius because of the old buildings. After arriving at Piazza Walther, where it meets the terminus track of the Renon railway, the line went on the station alley and from there until to Brennero Street. The second line was build in various sections, because the company that run the Brennero railway thought the new tram would be a hard concurrent between Laives and Bolzano, since the Laives railway station was really far away from the village. Finally the line was build along the Brennero Street from Laives to Piazza Walter, where it shared the tracks with line one and the Renon railway until the Bolzano station, where it had its own terminus.

Abandonment

The company had some really good years, in which many local factories had their own tracks to the tram line. In the best years they bought some cars from the Merano tram company, which had some serial financial problems at that time. After world war II the network was abandoned and substituted by some bus lines. The now unused cars returned to the Merano tram company where they remained until the service was suspended.

Today

The garage of the tram lines is still visible near Piazza della Vittoria. Like in some other cities in political campaigns of the local politicians sometimes there has been talked of reactivating the tram to reduce air pollution in the city, which today had a lot of traffic.

Literature

* Josef Dultinger: "Vergessene Vergangenheit". Verlag Dr. Rudolf Erhard, Rum 1982
* Josef Dultinger: "Auf schmaler Spur durch Südtirol". Verlag Dr. Rudolf Erhard, Rum 1982